Macmillan Cancer Support Reviews 

My husband went for a hair and beard cut at Macmillan next to Royal Sussex Hospital. His hair had grown back after chemo, with a passion and the chemo curl, so it came time to tackle it. The space provided at Macmillan is so warm and welcoming, the room where he had his appointment was clean and lovely, and Jennie, who did his cutting, was absolutely wonderful! Her kindness, interest in his cancer journey, and attention to detail with his hair and beard, made this a truly special appointment. We're really thankful to have Macmillan support.

After getting my cancer diagnosis one of the support outlets I reached out to Contacted them to see if they could offer help & support ... Sure enough they got in touch right away and initial phone calls made me optimistic about what I was going thru and not being alone ... Had a face to face meeting with one of their link workers that I was assigned again first meeting positive and optimistic that I would get the help & support for the road ahead as I've had an uphill struggle with housing I'm classed as (In House Homeless) as I stay in a cramped one bedroom at my aunt's & uncles that I essentially eat sleep & live out of no luxury of full house or space to myself which has impacted my mental health as I struggle with anxiety and depression along with PTSD, that coupled with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) & ADHD with declining health issues and various tests I got the unfortunate news that I had cancer and going thru treatment for that .. So going thru what I'm going thru impacts my day to day life and I had that weighing on my shoulders daily and being in my current housing situation for 10 plus years on council waiting list I had a bit of optimism & hope after initial conversations with your representatives offering help & support but that was just it I was sold on false hope as the link worker I was assigned occasionally checks in to make sure I'm still alive & still kicking more of a box ticking exercise than anything asks how I'm doing then tell them how I'm doing what I'm struggling with but it just seems to be a job to them at the end of the day tick a few boxes to get their paycheck and doing the barest minimum after being giving that initial sense of hope with what they can provide I feel really let down by the organisation ...

The Macmillan Cancer Navigator should be an optional service instead of everyone pushing you to contact them if you have cancer and refusing to deal with you directly. Similarly, Macmillan clinical nurses should also have this flexibility; however, patients are literally pushed to contact them directly or are being presented at the doctors' appointments. There is a prevailing tendency to exert pressure on individuals, even in cases of negative experiences or reluctance to engage. It is important to respect the personal boundaries of cancer patients; thus, the policy should be revised to reflect this respect. No means no, and the current policy necessitates change. Macmillan sounds good only through expensive TV advertising, but in reality they are arrogant and unhelpful. They should not be pushed through the NHS!

After happily getting the promotion pack for this years coffee morning, I am constantly being bombarded with automated phone calls. Can you just let your potential sponsors get on with it and stop, what I see as, harassing them? I know you need to money but there are ways to do it. I was organising a fairly large scale event but will now divert the money elsewhere.

Just an advice line..accept none of the advice actually helps ..because the syatem is incompetent and not fit for purpose..all round?!

Absolute waste of time. I will never donate to these charlatans. In my diagnosis i was told that various things would happen, consultations, operation, support, follow up. The support was to be contacted by a MacMillan support worker before my operation, then ongoing. My operation was 4 weeks ago, the NHS has delivered on all its promises, MacMillan, still no contact. What are they doing with donations, it's not getting in touch with patients, or at least not me. From someone with cancer, I repeat, i will NEVER contribute to MacMillan.

My experience was upsetting when my husband was diagnosed with acute leukemia. I was given names and numbers but could rarely get through to them when I desperately needed help and advice. I was caring for my husband at home as was his wish. No Macmillan nurses visiting as they used to. ALL my support goes to Marie Curie and Prospect Hospice now who DID step up and did all they could to make sure my husband's death was peaceful,painless and at home. We need faces not telephone numbers and reams of paperwork to read through.

For north of 9 years, the wonderful people of Macmillan Cancer Support have been on my shoulder, supporting, caring and empathising.

I’m not Stage 4, and my family have not suffered the heartbreak of a terminal outcome, unlike millions of others.

Macmillan are the Rolls Royce of Cancer Concierges the world over. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. It’s fact!

Cancer people may not be free of tumours, scanxietities, emotional pain or, indeed daily stress, BUT we are agenda free when it comes to resilience and appreciation.

Macmillan are a country mile ahead of the rest (I live in the countryside: that’s a long mile)

My late wife approached Macmillan for support but was told they only hand out leaflets giving advice and could not provide any other assistance.
They are always advertising for donations but it appears that they only raise funds for their own benefit rather than to assist people with cancer.
I will never donate to this organisation or recommend others to do so.

I’d give a 0 if I could
Not sure of its point
No help given for us after my mums terminal diagnosis 5 weeks ago. The family in shock I myself had a vaso vagal mum died yesterday. They are supposed to ring us tomorrow!! Doubt it will happen. They said they’d see mum when in hospital when she went into SVT but didn’t.

As a cancer survivor myself the advert on TV at present does nothing but frighten. I understand it's important to let people know but I think it's too graphic.

Macmillan Cancer Support is often presented as an essential source of help for cancer patients, but my experience was that it functions largely as a well-funded listening service. Rather than providing meaningful intervention, much of the support seemed to consist of hearing people’s problems, encouraging them to remain positive, and being present during difficult medical conversations without contributing anything substantial.

For those dealing with the realities of cancer, sympathy alone is not enough. Patients need practical assistance, clear guidance, and effective advocacy. Too often, Macmillan’s role felt performative rather than genuinely helpful.

There is a fundamental disconnect between those providing support and those living with the consequences of cancer. The former can offer encouragement, attend meetings, and then move on with their day. Patients and their families cannot. They carry the burden long after the conversations end, facing the physical, emotional, and financial realities that cancer brings.

At the end of the day, Macmillan staff and volunteers get to clock out. Cancer patients and their families do not.

I’ve tried numerous times to reach out and get help and support. Not once have they stepped up and providing anything helpful.

I asked a really simple question this week, was transferred, asked it again, I didn’t get the answer. I was never going to. It was a simple question about my local hospice or any other support available.

The ‘support’ line rush you off the phone when it gets to 20 minutes. They don’t offer help other than leaflets.

A worthless service that people plough money into because the marketing is good.

Lying on the adverts . My friend was told about benefits he may receive, but no help of applying. He has stage four cancer . Both liver and colon

My husband was diagnosed with cancer and a macmillan nurse was looming in the room, which we both felt was unwelcome and not with our consent as we certainly were not expecting this diagnosis.
She was so so unhelpful and did nothing but make me feel uncomfortable.
I phoned her the next day to clarify treatment/appointment dates as I had only the top of a leaflet to write them on (honestly, that is how useless she was that she couldn't even get me a sheet of paper) and she told me dates, I wrote dates down and contacted appropriate services and was told my husband had not been referred and therefore no appointment, I contacted the macmillan nurse back who told me I misunderstood, how on earth do I misunderstand writing appointment dates and places?? She even told me the clinics to phone!! Incorrect information is not misunderstanding.
Completely incompetent and useless, incredibly poor attitude and zero care or empathy or accountability.
When I asked her why she was in this job as it was more than clear she has no interest in her patients (actually telling me she was looking forward to the bank holiday weekend.) She sent an email to my husband !!, hours after diagnosis ) reminding him to interact respectfully, my poor poor husband has never spoke to her as she never even attempted to speak or introduce herself at any point!
Can this honestly have happened, I find it truly unbelievable and had it not happened to me , I would not believe a health care professional would behave like this.

So sad these individuals are allowed to work in our NHS let alone with patients and families who receive such devastating news.
I am truely heart broken and cannot express how awful I have found my very limited experience with this macmillan nurse.
I have asked to change nurse but have no confidence in this service.

Promised this and that.. Nothing happened...

Mcmillan at whipps cross hospitak no empathy or care v rude and abrupt asked me if i knew prognosis when i am continuing to fight so negative avoid them!

I emailed them suppose to get back to you within 24 hrs 3 days later still no response, what a let down won't bother again!

The "Breast Care" team at Frimley Park Hospital do not extend any useful help and will hold a grudge against individuals that do not fawn over them.

They can be worse than the cancer for the patient.

Why onearth is this country relying on this organisation for support, with no ombudsman to keep them in check make them accountable.

I will never donate to MacMillan again. My cousin 39 , died with no help, her promised wheelchair arrived 2 days after she died of Breast cancer, my aunt 71 died with pancreatic cancer, her family had no help from MacMillan inspite of repeated requests, my brother 62 , died from bowel cancer last august, a nurse all his life, his wife tried constantly to get help , nothing,,, infact she is still awaiting a response, return phone call five months after his death. I just don’t know who they help , MacMillan should act and not just “ collect “.